NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, New York – Junior shortstop Kyrsten Van Natta hit for the cycle in game one, and the Marist softball team scored 26 runs in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep at Niagara on Saturday. The Red Foxes won 12-0 in game one, and earned a 14-3 victory in a contest shortened to six innings due to mercy rule in the second game.

Van Natta and sophomore catcher Rebecca Freeman each went 7-for-9 in the doubleheader. Junior center fielder Colleen McWilliams had hits in her first six plate appearances of the day, and went 6-for-7 in both games combined.

Here is a closer look at each game:

Game One – Marist 12, Niagara 0

Van Natta went 4-for-5 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Freeman was 4-for-5 with a run scored, an RBI and a double, and McWilliams went 4-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a double.

Van Natta had a fly out in the first inning, but achieved the cycle over her next four at bats. She had a leadoff triple in Marist's two-run third, a three-run homer to give Marist a 6-0 lead in the fourth, a leadoff single in the sixth, and a two-run double in her final plate appearance in the seventh.

Junior first baseman Maureen Duddy, senior second baseman Janine Lalli and freshman left fielder Gabrielle Kelliher each added two hits for the Red Foxes, who outhit Niagara 20-4.

In the circle, senior Melanie White (7-6) pitched her third shutout of the season. White struck out eight against just two walks while needing just 95 pitches over seven innings.

Marist scored once in the second, twice in the third, three times in the fourth, once in the fifth and five times in the seventh.

Sydney Smyers (0-14) took the loss for Niagara. Catcher Rachel Ziarnowski had a double.

Game Two – Marist 14, Niagara 3 (6 innings)

Van Natta, Freeman and freshman catcher Samantha Reilly all went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Reilly added a homer and four RBIs. McWilliams was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs.

Marist scored three times in the first on an RBI double by Reilly and a two-run double by McWilliams. In the second, Marist scored twice more thanks to an RBI single by Reilly and two Niagara errors. The Red Foxes added four more runs in the third as a result of RBI singles by Van Natta and Freeman plus two Niagara errors.

The Purple Eagles put two runs on the board in the fourth, and one in the fifth, but Marist scored five runs in the sixth to put the game away. The inning included a two-run homer by Reilly, an RBI double by freshman right fielder Kourtney Paul and a two-run single by junior first baseman Maureen Duddy.

In the circle, Jayne Oberdorf (6-5) pitched a complete game. She scattered eight hits and struck out five.

Taylor Grieger (1-7) took the loss for Niagara, which received two RBIs from second baseman Desarae Maldonado and two hits from center fielder Katelyn Gruarin.

Marist is now 14-16 overall and 4-2 in the MAAC; Niagara is 1-23 overall and 1-5 in the MAAC.

Marist returns to action with a MAAC doubleheader at Canisius on Sunday. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1 p.m.